Hugh Jackman Hints at Quitting Wolverine

The 'Prisoners' actor shares his thoughts on reprising the iconic role that propelled his name to stardom, 'It would have to be very compelling for me to do it again.'

Photo credit: Sean Thorton/WENN

Hugh Jackman talked about "The Wolverine" retirement when attending the 61st San Sebastian International Film Festival recently. Noting that he's been playing the heroic mutant for a decade, the 44-year-old actor said he might be too old to continue.

"Great parts always outgrow the actors that play them. If you forget that, it's at your own peril," the Aussie star explained. "They are working on it [X-Men] now, and it would have to be very compelling for me to do it again. I've been doing it for 10 years."

When asked about the idea of switching comic book characters or doing a crossover, he said, "The great thing about comic books is that they threw Batman in with Wolverine or Spiderman. I have people ask me all the time, 'Do you think Spider-Man can beat Wolverine?' It's part of the DNA."

He went on to recount the "Spider-Man" cameo that eventually never happened, "Marvel wanted me to do a cameo in the first Spider-Man, but I couldn't find my suit. I could have turned up before it was such a big deal. But I don't have that kind of power to make it happen."

Jackman was at the Spain film festival with director Denis Villeneuve to promote his new movie "Prisoners". He was also set to receive the Donostia Award for the lifetime achievement at the special screening of the movie on Friday, September 27.

"Humbled and honored" by the award, he said as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, "My wife Deborra-Lee Furness won the Silver Shell here in San Sebastian in 1991 for her role in 'Waiting', so we're going to just call it the Jackman-Furness Award if that's alright with you."